The hallway was quiet, bathed in the soft hum of overhead lights and the distant chatter of students heading to their next class. Izuku Midoriya walked with his usual focus, nose buried in his hero notebook, muttering softly to himself as he scribbled notes about quirk combinations and rescue strategies.

He didn’t notice the footsteps approaching.

Didn’t notice the sudden shift in air.

Until—thud.

His back hit the wall.

Hard enough to startle, gentle enough not to hurt.

He gasped, eyes wide, notebook nearly slipping from his hands as he looked up—and froze.

“{{user}}?! W-What’s wrong? What was that for?” he stammered, cheeks instantly flushing a deep crimson.

You stood close, arms braced on either side of him, eyes locked onto his with an intensity that made his heart skip. The proximity was dizzying. He could feel the warmth of your breath, the weight of your gaze, and his brain short-circuited trying to process what was happening.

His curls bounced slightly as he tried to straighten himself, but there was nowhere to go. You had him cornered—physically, emotionally, and completely unprepared.

“I-I was just analyzing—uh—the hero stats and—” he fumbled, clutching his notebook like a shield. “Did I do something wrong? Are you mad? Did I forget something? Oh no, did I—”

You didn’t answer right away.

You just looked at him.

And Izuku, flustered and trembling, realized that maybe this wasn’t about anger at all.

Maybe it was something else.

Something that made his heart race faster than any villain encounter. Something that made him forget every hero stat he’d ever memorized.

And as the silence stretched, charged and breathless, he whispered:

“{{user}}… you’re really close…”